A beautiful building located at the Piazza del Signori in Vicenza, Italy. The architecture is…read moresimply amazing. As we sat at the Piazza you can't help but admire this beautiful structure.

There is so much history in Vicenza and the Basilica is a huge part of that history…read more "The Palladian Basilica is a public building facing onto the Piazza dei Signori. Its name is linked to Andrea Palladio, who redesigned it, adding the famous loggias with serliana openings in white marble to the existing Gothic building. The building on which Palladio worked was the Palazzo della Ragione, built in Gothic style in the mid-fifteenth century. The upper floor is entirely taken up by an enormous hall with no intermediate supports, where the Council of the Four Hundred met. The copper-lined, inverted ship's-hull roof was inspired by that of the Palazzo della Ragione in Padua. The Gothic facade was originally clad with diamonds of red and straw yellow Verona marble, which are still visible behind Palladio's addition. A loggia surrounding the building was commissioned after its completion, but continually delayed due to various structural difficulties and the nature of the ground beneath. At the beginning of the sixteenth century the double order of porticoes and loggias, though not complete, collapsed. The Council called on many leading architects of the time to resolve the difficult problem of its reconstruction. They included Jacopo Sansovino, Sebastiano Serlio and Giulio Romano. The project was awarded to Andrea Palladio (1508-80) in 1549, following a competition, and he worked on it for the rest of his life. It was completed posthumously in 1614. The reconstructed building was called a basilica by Palladio himself, who had been inspired by the model of the Roman basilica for civic use." The building has three independent exhibition spaces that are used to host architecture and art exhibitions of international renown. http://www.museicivicivicenza.it/en/tbc/basilica_palladiana.php In the Summer months they offer a pass for 5euro and you can go up to the top and walk around on all the levels as often as you like. One time guests only need to pay 1euro. There's a nice bar on the rooftop and it is one of my favorite spots in the city to watch the evening sky change or a storm roll in.

The history in Verona is incredible. This castle and its grounds are well worth the journey. I did…read morenot notice this specifically highlighted in travel books but I am glad we walked from our hotel to check it out. Everything in Verona seems so close and easily accessible to each other!

We did not have time to tour the museum portion of the Castelvecchio but we did have the…read moreopportunity to walk the exterior and admire this amazing structure. The museum displays a collection of sculpture, statues, paintings, ancient weapons, ceramics, goldworks, miniatures and some old bells. "Castelvecchio" translates to "Old Castle" and it is indeed quite old. It is built on the location of the Roman fortress, built between 1354 and 1376 and includes a bridge across the Adige River. The castle was damaged by French troops during the Napoleonic Wars and once captured, Napoleon stayed here on his trips to Verona. The exterior moat is currently dry but was once filled by water fed by the river. The castle is not massive compared to others but does have seven towers and four buildings inside. The bridge was destroyed by the retreating German army in 1945 and rebuilt in 1949. [Review 16970 overall - 175 in Italy - 486 of 2022.]

This is a beautiful area to come oversee Vicenza and the surrounding area. Directly in front of…read morethe Basilica di Monte Berico, the piazzale provides ample parking for you to walk around and enjoy the landscape. Perfect for romantic couples at sunset or for letting kids run around and burn some energy, there are also some commemorative war monuments. Lots of cyclists and runners passing through as they take to the hills in the area, this place had lots of activity as we enjoyed looking out across the Veneto.

This was on my must do list! It did not disappoint- the house is 5 stories with great art and…read morestories throughout- you must do stairs. There are no free tickets even to the courtyard anymore- and tickets are only online! Additionally you can not get in from the street across most blogs tell you to go to! So Plan to need to walk around the block There are gift shops to get a lock if you didn't bring one - why not! There is a cute cafe right outside the entrance that we enjoyed vino while waiting for our entrance time

I was pleasantly surprised by this museum. I was expecting to see just the balcony, but you get to…read morewalk through the entire house and see the costumes, paintings and books on display. We were first in line and rushed in to take photos of the balcony without anyone in them. There were a few people who pretended not to see the queue, so you just have to get there early and stand your ground. The house itself was spacious and beautiful. There are a few sets of stairs so wear comfortable shoes. Definitely recommend visiting!

Sirmione!!! What can I honestly say that hasn't already been said about this beauty?! In reading…read moresome of the previous reviews, the mentions of "drop dead gorgeous" quickly became a theme and rightfully so. This place is stunning beyond belief. A true encapsulation of one of Italy's brightest beauties. Sirmione is one of many island resort towns that sit on Italy's largest lake known as Lake Garda. I took a day trip to Sirmione from Milan and I was completely blown away by how immaculate it was. Walking into the resort, I was instantly enamored but the Scaligero Castle. It's the first view that you'll see when walking into town. Can you believe that? Just casually walking through town and then BOOM! A big ol' ancient castle right before your eyes. Although Sirmione isn't as popular or well known as Venice or Lake Como, it's still a wonderful place to visit. For one, the crowds aren't as heavy which makes for a more enjoyable experience (it's still a busy place though!). The beaches are walking distance from the parking lot and they are so clean, calm, and clear. The most popular beach on the resort is Jamaica Beach which is all the way at the tip of the island, but there are a few other beaches that are worthy of a visit as well. There's shopping, restaurants, and the famous Sirmione ice cream! That's right; this place is known for their giant ice cream scoops. I can confirm that the ice cream scoops are massive! The walking trails are lovely and the parks are so green. You have the beaches and walking trails on one side of the island, and then the stunning Lake Garda on the other side. It's popular to take boat rides on Lake Garda from here. What I enjoyed most was simply walking around. There are so many cute alleyways and beautiful structures to admire. And of course, laying out on the beach and catching those peaceful waves were pretty mesmerizing too. I'd say visiting Sirmione was one of my most memorable experiences while in the Lombardy region. I've been living in those memories for the past few days and I would love to visit again someday. It's truly such a magical place.

Drop dead gorgeous! The views were spectacular! It was extremely windy on the morning we visited so…read morebe sure to be dressed appropriately. We paid to park down the street before walking into the city. I would recommend spending an hour or more exploring the area. Many shops and gelaterias to explore.

They say that when you die, you can't take it with you. That's true, or at least it is as far as I…read moreknow. But when you die, you can spend an inordinate amount of money to insure that you don't leave much. The Scaligeri family was the ruling family of Verona for the 125 years between 1262 and 1387. Reading the history, they were clearing a bloodthirsty bunch bent on power. On the plus side, the family are known as the patrons of Dante, Petrarch and Giotto. The Santa Maria Antica church here in Verona has their tombs. They are Gothic shrines that contain the sarcophagi. Cangrande della Scala is memorialized with an equestrian statue; Cansignorio by a marble Gothic monument by Bonino da Campione, 1374. Definitely worth stopping by. Even if the Church is closed, the tombs are visible from the street and through the gates of the garden. [Review 16985 overall - 190 in Italy - 501 of 2022.]

Such nicely kept grounds. Walk up all the way to the top of the tower for a wonderful view of lake…read moreGarda and adjacent town. Build up your appetite while exploring the museum grounds and castle walls. Plenty of picture opportunity throughout the grounds. The stairs leading up to the tower can be a little cramped by space and other climbers. Keep that in mind and you'll be just fine.